Dr. Angel Yanagihara of the Pacific Cnidaria Research Lab and the Békésy Laboratory of Neurobiology in the Pacific Biosciences Research Center in Honolulu, Hawaii shared her extensive knowledge of some of the most venomous creatures in the world:

There are over 40 species of box jellyfish or cubozoans. These are divided into the Carybdeidae and the Chirodropidae.

The Carybdeidae have only four tentacles, one on each pedalia while the Chirodropidae have up to 15 per pedalia or 60 total.

In Hawaii, there are only carybdeids. Only one species, Alatina moseri (previously reported as Carybdea alata) comes up from the deep ocean with lunar cyclic periodicity 8-10 days after the full moon. In contrast to the case of Alatina, the smaller carybdeids, these animals feed every night.

There are a number of carybdeids that come to the surface to feed approximately 70 minutes after sunset or at nautical twilight. In either case, these animals are present year round.

Scary…

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source